Chapter 9: The Cui Clan Speaks, Hurting Self-Esteem

Cui Zhixing and Cui Liren both cast sidelong glances at A-Wu, but they said nothing more. However, those two cousins were ultimately still young; seeing A-Wu, they were overjoyed beyond measure. The younger one, who looked no more than ten, reached out to pinch A-Wu's cheeks, but fortunately, she dodged quickly.

"Cousin is so incredibly cute," the second eldest cousin said with a grin.

As for the eldest cousin, though he feigned maturity, his eyes seemed glued to A-Wu, a gaze that made her feel awkward. This Cui Huaiyu was already fourteen; his grandfather was a Prefect, making him one of the most prominent figures among the younger generation in Qingzhou. Having been teased into learning about matters between men and women early on and having read some leisure books, he knew of the romantic affairs between cousins. His gaze toward A-Wu carried a hint of scrutiny and pickiness; though he looked young, he seemed quite satisfied with her in other respects.

A-Wu was annoyed, wishing she could slap him, but she knew she couldn't. Lady Cui likely sensed this as well, so she sent A-Wu away, letting Ziyan take her to the western branch rooms to play, though she didn't dare let her wander too far for fear that A-Wu might be bullied where she couldn't see.

She knew the character of the entire Cui household best.

On this side, Cui Zhixing also dismissed his two grandsons. Lady Cui sat down on a row of chairs to the left of Cui Zhixing, offered greetings to the family matriarch, reported that everything was well, and exchanged some trivial pleasantries before finishing.

A-Wu couldn't sit still in the western branch rooms. She gave Ziyan a look, signaling her to stay quiet, while she herself pressed against the lattice door to listen intently to the conversation between Lady Cui and the other two.

Compared to Lady Cui's indirect and shy manner, her grandfather was quite blunt: "Miss, you know that my trip to the capital this time is to fulfill my term of service. See if you can ask the son-in-law to think of a way so that I can remain in my current post."

These words made A-Wu look at him with newfound respect. This Prefect Cui was a man of self-awareness; he knew the waters of the capital were deep. He was but a small shrimp who couldn't make waves, so it was better to stay in Qingzhou where life was easy, and the benefits were no less than those of a capital official. By not begging for a transfer to a wealthier prefecture, he appeared not greedy. No wonder he had stood firm for decades without falling.

A-Wu knew of this Prefect Cui; he had drifted through the position of Prefect without promotion, but his position was extremely stable. Later, even amidst the struggles of competing dragons, he was able to navigate through successfully. When the new Emperor ascended, he was even transferred to serve in the Jiangnan and Zhejiang regions.

However, Cui Zhixing's words put Lady Cui in a difficult position. She knew her own family's situation; not to mention that her eldest uncle and the others couldn't help, even if they could, they might not be willing. As for the Old Master, he had not inquired about family matters for many years, and she didn't dare disturb him. Her husband was even more out of the question; Master Rong San did not hold a good opinion of his father-in-law's official conduct, finding him greedy, contemptuous, slick, and cunning.

Seeing Lady Cui hesitate, Cui Zhixing merely smiled without pressing her. During his time in the capital, he had already inquired about the situation of the Duke of Anguo's residence, feeling only that they had wasted a daughter who provided no assistance. Seeing her like this now, he understood even more clearly.

After some hesitation, Lady Cui only said she would go back and speak with her father-in-law. Even though she had spoken her intentions through such immense difficulty—to the point that A-Wu, listening from behind, felt embarrassed—she hadn't expected her branch of the family to have reached such a desperate state that Lady Cui had to ask the Prefect for silver to spend.

Cui Zhixing stroked his beard. "Miss, you know that back then, I married the third Master of the Duke's residence for your sake, and the family's silver was used entirely to prepare your dowry. Now, it just so happens that my three-year term is ending, and all the connections in the capital need to be managed. Once we get through this hurdle, how about your father arranges things for you once he returns to Qingzhou?"

This speech left Lady Cui feeling so ashamed she wanted to hide. She had found it hard enough to speak, and now she had been refused. Lady Cui knew the family's situation; the Cui family's wealth was not enough to handle even her own dowry, let alone if there were ten more of her. It was clear he wouldn't help, and it even carried a hint of a threat: if he could not retain his post in Qingzhou, there might be legal battles to come.

Lady Cui took a breath, called A-Wu out, and bid farewell to her father and brothers. She sat in the carriage with A-Wu all the way back without saying a word.

A-Wu sat with her head lowered, her small hand gently stroking Lady Cui's hand resting on her lap, making Lady Cui's eyes sting with sorrow. She was also a proud person; if not for her husband and children, how would she have dared to speak to her father? She hadn't expected family ties to be so thin.

Fortunately, her A-Wu had finally grown up. She was becoming increasingly well-behaved; even the nannies in the palace would praise her etiquette. Her ways of handling people were also improving, managing her rooms smoothly so that even the little troublemaker Zishuan had become obedient.

In truth, Lady Cui was not unaware of the matter regarding Ziyan and Zishuan. It was just that she held the families of these two girls in the palm of her hand, and only by placing them in A-Wu's room could she feel at ease. Thus, she never mentioned replacing them, only frequently reprimanding them. Unfortunately, the previous A-Wu still couldn't suppress the servants.

Now that A-Wu had learned these things from Lady Cui, with her abilities, how could she not control the two? By using both kindness and authority, Zishuan naturally became submissive. It was also because Ziyan and Zishuan were only half-grown girls; Ziyan was only thirteen, and Zishuan was only ten.

"Mother, don't worry. Everything will be fine," A-Wu comforted Lady Cui.

Hearing this, Lady Cui almost couldn't hold back her tears. She thought A-Wu was only saying it to comfort her, but in her heart, she already felt comforted. Little did she know that A-Wu was not just talking.

The next day, A-Wu sought out Rong Jie, pestering him to see a collection of contemporary essays, which contained the current eight-legged essays used for examinations.

Rong Jie tapped A-Wu's forehead. A-Wu instinctively tried to dodge; she had a strange quirk of disliking being touched and was extremely fastidious about cleanliness. Aside from Lady Cui, whom she could sometimes approach voluntarily, she refused to touch anyone else. But because she had a request today, she endured it.

"You girl, what are you looking at in contemporary essays at such a young age? This isn't something you should be reading. If you're bored, go read some poetry or find your sisters to play with."

"Why can't I read them? I just want to see what kind of flowery, ornate articles you all write every day," A-Wu pouted. This movement, paired with her pink, plump, bun-like face, was incredibly cute. How could Rong Jie refuse his own sister? Even when the previous A-Wu was as unbearable as she was, they loved her like a treasure, let alone the current A-Wu.

Rong Jie stood up to get them for her, and A-Wu followed closely behind him. "Okay, Fifth Brother, I'll find them myself."

The current A-Wu had not yet hit her growth spurt; her body was short and stout, with her forehead just reaching the edge of the table. Even so, she wanted to find the books herself, which made Rong Jie laugh. Seeing her struggle while trying to maintain a lady-like manner as she attempted to climb onto the chair, he was overwhelmed by her cuteness. He reached out and lifted her onto the chair. "Fine, fine, you flip through them yourself. I'll put all the contemporary essays on the table for you."

Since Rong Jichang had failed his exams repeatedly, he placed even more importance on cultivating his son, Rong Jie. When Rong Jie first began studying literary composition, Master Rong San picked out some good contemporary essays for him to learn from and added many new books for him.

A-Wu mainly wanted to find if there were any contemporary essays written by Xu Lizhai, and also the articles he wrote when he was the examiner for the metropolitan exam in the fifteenth year of the Longqing era. Of course, she also needed to look at articles from recent metropolitan exams; she had not been in contact with these for a long time and needed to familiarize herself. Although she had once taken an interest in studying contemporary essays and literary composition and had even received praise from her teachers, it was not, after all, what a woman should do, so she had put it down after only a year or so.

Unfortunately, Rong Jichang did not like the magnificent prose favored by people like Xu Lizhai, so the books he found for Rong Jie did not include them. A-Wu was a little disappointed. She rolled her eyes toward Rong Jie, thinking of an excuse to egg him on to look in the bookstores.

The Spring Imperial Examination was in the second month after the New Year, so time was a bit tight. A-Wu didn't know if she could write eight-legged essays that would catch Xu Lizhai's eye in such a short time, but she wasn't without advantages; at least she had more time to write and revise than the candidates.

"Fifth Brother, when you go to the bookstore, can you take me along? I want to find a few books too." A-Wu opened her large, watery eyes, making good use of her physical advantages, her expression becoming increasingly innocent and bright.

"You?" Rong Jie smiled. "Are you looking for calligraphy practice books? You are still young; you aren't allowed to go out by yourself. If you want any books, tell your brother, and I will find them for you."

Rong Jie's temperament was serious and hard to fool, so A-Wu turned her sights on Rong Yin.

One day, when Rong Yin came to visit A-Wu, she held a small trinket Rong Yin had previously given her and complained, "The things Brother gives are all things you boys like. Will you take me to choose some myself one day?" A-Wu pulled at Rong Yin's collar.

"That won't do. Mother will hit me if she finds out." Rong Yin also did not seem easy to fool.

Anxious, A-Wu deliberately brewed up her emotions, and tears soon flowed out, making her look as if she had suffered a great injustice.

How could Rong Yin withstand this? He hurriedly wiped away A-Wu's tears, "Alright, alright, Brother will think of a way."

One person's short plan is another's long plan; the two of them actually found an opportunity: the Lantern Festival. During the Lantern Festival, women had the custom of "walking the hundred diseases," and Lady Cui would be going that day. Since there would be no adults to supervise at home, A-Wu could find a chance to go out with Rong Yin.

Rong Yin was so thoroughly fooled by A-Wu's logical arrangement that he nodded repeatedly, completely failing to realize he was being led by the nose by A-Wu, thinking instead that it was his own idea.

During the New Year, Rong Jichang naturally returned, and the whole family was lively. On New Year's Eve, A-Wu followed her brothers to set off firecrackers and watch fireworks; it was so much fun. She hadn't had such an opportunity when she was younger; back then, she was sickly and couldn't stand the thunderous sound of firecrackers, so she was locked in her room under the covers early on.

A-Wu loved this kind of excitement. The more she wanted to keep this kind of liveliness from the Duke of Anguo's residence, the more determined she became in her decision.

Originally, A-Wu had not planned to interfere in Rong Jichang's examinations, feeling that it was a grand national event for selecting talent and should not be subject to cheating. After all, that was her uncle's world, and she naturally leaned toward that side, so she had made no preparations.

But now that the third branch was facing such hardships, and Rong Si had said those words, A-Wu had to consider the future. A person without long-term foresight will surely face immediate troubles. Moreover, Rong Jichang was not lacking in talent; he simply had not met his opportunity. In terms of talent and character, he was an excellent choice.

After the New Year, Rong Jichang led the three children and personally made three lanterns for them. A-Wu received a rabbit lantern with red eyes and a three-part mouth, looking incredibly lifelike. It had four wheels on its four legs so it could be pulled along. For A-Wu, who had grown up in a wealthy, secluded household, this ordinary family's rabbit lantern was a very novel thing.

Having received her new lantern, A-Wu wanted to pull it and run, but then she thought this would be inconsistent with her lady-like demeanor. She was, after all, once the most prestigious noble lady in the capital, known for her talent and elegant grace—the Princess of Kangning whom everyone emulated.

So, in the end, in her own courtyard, A-Wu dismissed all her serving maids, pulled the rabbit lantern for about ten laps while shouting in delight, and only then stopped. Of course, in front of others, she returned to her dignified appearance.

On the night of the sixteenth, Lady Cui and her two sisters-in-law were going to "walk the hundred diseases." A-Wu was too young, and she looked as round and sweet as the jade maiden beside the Goddess Guanyin; people feared she might get lost, which would be heartbreaking. Naturally, Lady Cui refused to take her out no matter what.

A-Wu did not persist; her heart had already "gone" with Rong Yin.